Of Which I Refuse to Title
by The Dragon Sorceress
Summary: [Chapter 5 Teaser] Lucca vs Magus, both on the edge of defeat in a battle of magic. Beginning of Chapter 5 and authoress apology.
1. Into the Woods

**Disclaimer:** If I owned this, there'd be so much CT stuff, people would get sick of it. 

And yes, I know, I know... "DS, don't you have two other stories which you haven't ever updated?" I have to admit, they weren't very well planned out... and probably will not be updated... This however; I already have 2 more rough draft chapters written down in my chapter notebook and... when my Spring Break FINALLY arrives on Friday, more chapters shall arrive.

And so... here. Enjoy.

* * *

  
**- Over the River and Through the Woods... -**

Oh _this_ was fine and dandy. Left behind AGAIN at that woooonderful place called the End of Time... more like the End of Fun. She had spent so much time there, that she had reinvented all her inventions and had made polka-dotted versions of them in various sizes. Books had ceased to be mildy interesting; one could only read the same books so many times.

She let out a loud groan of frustration. It was swallowed by the endless swirls of time that danced about the platform.

The old man continued to snore. Loudly.

Lucca fell back against the fence, letting her helmet topple off her head and her short lavendar hair to spill from it. She had been sitting there for who knows how long, thinking back over the mission she was (supposedly) a part of. When was the last time that she had been called upon? Oh yah. When Crono, Marle, and Frog, the usual party, suddenly burst in, dropped Frog off, grabbed her, and leaped into the pillar to the ravaged future.

She had been too happy to be rescued from endless boredom and had been eager to help until she discovered why she'd been brought in the first place.

They needed her _technical _genius. Not her battle skills, not her magic. She seethed silently.

When they arrived at Proto Dome, she was forced to engage in an odd conversation with Balthasar's memories, which took the form of an aggravatingly stubborn, programmed Nu. Lucca had been unspeakably relieved when the whole ordeal was over, and was pleasantly suprised when they uncovered the Wings of Time.

It was a beautifully crafted machine with a sleek covering that glimmered in the dimmed light. Yet, before she could even tinker or marvel at its complex inner machinery, much less pull a lever, Crono had leapt ahead, and practically pushed her out onto the End of Time's platform... and they sped off with Frog.

It had been like that ever since Frog had joined the party. Ayla had been left behind as well, but she was hardly concerned. She spent the majority of her time curled up by the lamp post or fighting Spekkio (in vain for she had no elemental magic). Fighting Spekkio was always an option, but one could only take so much of his lame jokes. He tended to repeat them several times in a single battle, conveniently forgetting each time that he did.

Lucca smoothed out her orange tunic and sighed. She had been an instigator of the mission, a co-founder of the team, and yet here she was, sitting about like a third wheel, (or rather sixth.) Her rather formidable abilities in battle were going to decay at this rate, and she was bound to be dwarfed in growth the next time she was called on. If ever.

_Heh. How the mighty have fallen. _She reached up towards the fountain beside her and felt a refreshing energy engulf her. If she wasn't gonna be given the opportunity to expand her strength, she was just going to have to do it herself. She threw her turquoise bag over her shoulder and checked her pockets for the Gate Key. Resisting the urge to look back for Robo, who was currently replanting the forest with Fiona in 600 AD, she proceeded to the Room of Pillars. Without a single glance behind, she leapt into the portal for 65,000,000 BC.

* * *

As per usual, she had forgotten about the twelve foot drop out of the portal and winced as the ground collided painfully with her butt. As soon as she had finished pitifully bemoaning her abused appendage, she found herself face-to-faces with a disgruntled pack of Runners. They tossed their heads back and reared when she leaped to her feet and took aim.

_Pathetic. _The battle had been painfully easy, and the dancing Kilwalas hadn't put up much of a fight either. None of the monsters in that particular area seemed very strong. Heck, even her Air Gun, which she kept around for emergencies, was taking em out. Lucca was not going to disillusion herself however. She knew that her current strongest weapon, the Dream Gun, was way behind the others in weapon strength. Which meant she needed to invest in her magic abilities. With a sigh, she tucked the Air Gun into her bag, and began heading south.

Very few monsters had dared attack her as she made her way towards the Forest Maze. She had dispatched them easily with her simplest fire spell, and she was pleasantly shocked when she noticed it had morphed into something more potent. The first time she had ever cast the spell, it had emerged as a wildly small, disjointed ball of flame. And now, it was bursting forth in a line of flames that danced around her before becoming a powerful blaze upon the target. Lucca smiled. Her chanting had definitely improved, and she recalled the strange sensation that accompanied the summoning.

As the trees of the Forest Maze came into view, she strode off the beaten pathways and plunged into the foliage. Minutes later, she began to regret her split second decision. The vegatation was thick, and she was forced to shield her face as she plowed awkwardly in some odd direction. Branches snapped back in her path, and she snagged dozens of times on prickly plants.

"Ooooooww!" A thorny vine ripped into her left arm, and she flung backwards to free it. Quite suddenly, the ground beneath her crumbled, and she was swallowed by a cavernous darkness.

* * *

Ssssh.. Hssssh... Her green eyes snapped open. Like heavy boulders, memories of the previous events crashed onto her head, weighing her down with intense nausea. _Uggghhhh... I feel like I've been stepped on by Black Tyrano all over again.. _Blood ebbed slowly into her limbs, and she drowsily assumed that she was flat on her back. She blinked rapidly but the pitch black would not dissolve. Her bag was not at her side. Panicked, she scrambled to her feet and tripped over something large and bony... which let out a loud, inhuman grunt. An ice cold feeling trailed up her spine and the hair on her arms stiffened and tingled. "GYAAAAH!" she screamed and swung out blindly with her mallet. When it didn't collide with anything, she pivoted on her right foot, swung, and felt it impact. And crack. _Shoot._ She felt the mallet splinter in half.

Lucca stood stock still. The air was empty and silent... strangely silent...

"KYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The piercing, unmistakable cry of a Winged Ape resounded in her ears. Not good. Very bad... very, very bad. She was definately not ready for this. They had barely been able to defeat one in a party of three in the sunlight. She was as good as dead.

Lucca scrambled for a spell, any spell, but the words were lost to her, and fear clouded her mind. Finally, she began mumbling the spell for Fire, but a warm breath at her neck stopped her. It grabbed her and tossed her up, then down, and she crunched painfully against the walls. She felt its claws break through her sleeves and crimson liquid dribbled out her wounds. Her life was draining fast. She need out of there. Now. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. Innate magic exploded through her throat, and intoned ancient words of power. Words that spilled through her, and moved of their own will.

"Advoco flamma a terra et caelum. Emergo, exuro, aboleo. Viscus decoquo." Bright dots of orange and red flew about her prone form, illuminating the large chamber that reeked of death and decay. Bones were scattered about the floor, but Lucca barely noticed. She smacked her hands together and bellowed, "FLAARE!"

Orbs of flame condensed and disappeared with an enormous pop. The Winged Ape suddenly shrieked as its hide began to glow and incinerate. Within moments, its ashes fell upon the floor softly and it was pitch black once more. Lucca felt out once more for a presence, and finding none, she let herself relax into the ground. Her eyelids shut, heavy with fatigue, and the drain on her magic reserves smothered her. Exhausted and dazed, she fell into a deep slumber.

The sun had ceased it's endless wanderings above the vast, changing lands, and Lucca awoke to the same bland scenery. Drums pounded incessantly upon her head, and her arm was searing painfully. With a sharp intake of breath, she tottered onto her feet and lurched forward. Bile rose in the back of her throat, and she struggled to suppress the urge to puke. Struggling to stay upright, she accidentally fell into the wall, and gripped the loose roots that dangled into the hole in a strangle hold.

Weakly, Lucca brought up her right arm. "Ar... Arcesso I-Ignis." A meagre flame arose from her fingertips and her weary eyes began to moisten.

"Crap..."

The barely whispered expletive abruptly smothered the flame and she was overwhelmed with feebleness. The debilitating gap in her magic stores was catching up with her; she had used more than she had, and her nonexistant physical energy was not there to balance it out. Lucca suddenly swayed and found herself once more on the ground. Her bag. She vaguely remembered it flying off her when the Ape first plowed into her. Her energy levels were rapidly depleting and she was running out of time. Crawling blindly upon the earthen floor, she sighed in relief as her hand collided against a solid, cottony surface. She gingerly reached out with her arms and shifted sightlessly through its infinite pockets. Lucca's bruised hands finally closed around a cool cylindric bottle. With a grunt of triumph, she savagely ripped the cap off and gulped the viscuous liquid down her throat. Almost immediately, energy flowed back into her, and the stiffness in her limbs began to loosen. Relief flooded through her as she felt the quivering in her body stop. Thank the Entity that she had brought along an elixir.

Slipping her bag around her left shoulder, she slid upright and stretched out her arms. With renewed energy, she brought forth a beautifully resilient flame and scrutinized her surroundings. She appeared to have fallen into a deep burrow beneath the ground. Gnarled tree roots poked intrusively into the chamber, scolding fingers that mirrored intricate traps. Twisted bones, some still stained with blood, littered the ground towards the upper half of the area. Some even looked like human skulls. Lucca repressed a shiver and brought the flames above her head, examining the ceiling critically. Where was the opening?

An idea erupted into her head and she carefully hoisted herself onto a particularly large segment of dangling tree root. When she shot her arm (fireless) into a divergent spot of ceiling, it burst through the barrier. A couple of browning leaves floated down to her, and she cleared away the rest of them with an enthusiastic wave.

The night's brilliant stars greeted her through an opening in the branches overhead. She gazed up in awe. Never were there as many stars in her time that twinkled so brightly or shone so clearly. Lucca shook the sweet distraction off, extinguished the flame, and proceeded out of the hole.

Her previous joy was swallowed by a sour grimace. No doubt, the enormous trees and fern were distinctly unique, but they covered the forest in its entirety. To put it shortly, everything, everywhere looked the same. A sudden crack from about ten feet away sent her into a crouch among the huge fronds of a nearby fern. Vigilant and fully alert, she strained her ears for the silent sound that crept ever closer. _There! _Her gaze fell unwaveringly upon foliage to the left of her and she prepared to ambush the comer. The bush shook...

... and she leapt forward, wielding a thick stick she ripped from the dense undergrowth.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"OOOOOOOOOOWCH! Kino head go boom!"

A well-muscled blonde was sprawled in front of her, clutching his head as an ugly bump formed on it. She blinked in shock. Then recognition. 

"Oh! Kino! I'm so so sorry!" Lucca dropped her makeshift weapon and launched forward to help the dazed man to his feet.

He looked up, suddenly unshaken as though nothing had occurred. "... Lucca?" He beamed. "How Lucca here? On big hunt? Catch good animal? Eat good?"

She stared at him. His grammar was awkward but the real trouble came from his suprisingly distinct accent. So it really sounded like this: "'Ow Ucca 'are? Onn big haunt? Keatch good animal? Eat good?"

"Uh.. uhm... Kino? I am kinda.. lost. Could you-"

"Kino show, Kino show!" He practically bounced off the ground, grabbed ahold of her arm, and dragged her off at a blinding speed. And somehow, they were able to dodge the whippish vegetation that Lucca found so hard to get through.

* * *

Whereas it took her an hour to wander into the very center of the forest, it took them exactly three minutes to burst through to the very edge of it. Kino still did not release his grip. They barreled down the hillside, past rows of "La Grup" or Fire Ferns, and towards the Village of Ioka. Swirls of smoke spiraled from the huts that sat about a mile ahead. Kino finally ceased their run and the momementum mandated that she fly forward at least eleven more feet into a goopy pile of a horrendously smelling, unknown substance. Kino scratched the back of his head as a rather impish grin etched upon his face.

"Kino sorry!" he offered brightly. Lucca didn't need to be told what she landed in; the smell told all. "Ugghhhh..."

* * *

**AN**: Enjoyed? Hated? Reviews are lovely things. Flames will only increase Lucca's magic abilities.


	2. When the Stars Were Young

**AN:** I'm on Spring Break now, so more chapters will be coming out within a day or two. -tears up when she sees how many reviews she has- I need more feedback... I don't know if my story is being well recieved or even recieved at all.

* * *

**When the Stars Were Young **

After a blastedly wonderful thirty minutes of trudging back to the village with the ever so crawly feeling of being sooo well covered in dinosaur excrement… well, she wasn't exactly in a great mood. Foul. Indignant. Absolutely disgusted? The irritable inventor swatted at the buzzing flies that circled excitedly about her filthy head. She wondered how in the hell the flies were out at this hour. Swarms of them had assaulted her as she neared the chief's hut, and not even a burst of flame would dissuade them.

Lucca grumbled under her breath.

"Bath now!" Kino hadn't ever stopped grinning the entire way back. In fact, she was almost positive that his face muscles had been paralyzed in an aggravatingly gleeful expression. And it was really grating her fringed nerves.

As she pondered thousands of cruel methods to successfully "unparalyze" those muscles, Kino led her through the village, flies in procession and all, towards the hot springs that sat at the base of a nearby mountain.

"Lucca no speak. Why?"

"Kino, I don't feel too good." She took a deep breath and immediately choked as the smell engulfed her senses.

"No feel good? Lucca sick now?" Finally, the cheeky expression fell off his face. But were those wrinkles where his grin once sat?

"I'm fine Kino. Fine." She bit back her anger. Trying to calm her churning emotions, she gazed skywards. The stars were brilliant. Millions and millions of sapphires and diamonds shone down on her, and she marveled at them. As a child, she remembered drawing strength from them when things went downhill. Her night sky had not been so well endowed, but it was a single star that she had named her guardian. _Lumos_.

Lucca threw her focus westwards, but the faces were strange and cradled an ancient glow. Her star must not have been born yet.

A sudden glittering in the canvas above became a shower of lights and shimmering fireworks. It was breathtaking. Even Kino had suddenly halted to gaze at the heaven in awe.

"Stars fly. Life goes. Water drops, we dance."

The words were disjointed and simple. But it was poetry, echoing across time and merging with the falling meteors in the sky.

* * *

"Here! Come back when done." And without another word, he scampered off towards the village in the distance. 

Sighing, Lucca threw her severely soiled bag upon the rocky ground and sank tiredly at the edge of the hot springs. She had been going through the motions, and it had held the ache at bay. Now, as she came to a stop and let the day come crashing back to her, her muscles felt deadbeat and useless.

"Unnghhh.."

_And they always called me crazy… I can see why now… _She tried to move, she really did, but the signals from her brain were simply being absorbed by the tension in her muscles.

"Gah…."

It felt terrible right there. And it also felt terrible to move.

_I'm gonna move now._ Nothing. _Come on Lucca, you can do it! _Her muscles began to react and proudly, she moved her pinky out from under the rock. It took about twenty more minutes, but she gradually dragged herself up, kicked off her boots, and waded into the soothingly hot water

"Ahhh…" She sighed contentedly. No matter that her clothes were still on. And that the natural fertilizer was now floating off of her and clouding her bath. _Disgusting… _Lucca shuddered and clambered out of the springs, "…uug-eck." Her choice had been a somewhat intelligent one, for now the rather nasty muck was off her clothing, and there were two other pools she could still pick from. She had almost forgotten the grimy state of her bag until she turned about and tripped over it.

It had been a lucky thing that she had left her helmet at the End of Time. At least now she only had herself and her bag to contend with, and the clean-up looked very promising of pain. Growling, she emptied the bag of its contents, stomped to the water's edge, and used a hand-sized rock to scrub it clean. Her light blue bag had been made with a strong fiber, which resembled cotton, but was resilient to stains. And flames. If it hadn't, she would've accidentally turned it into a useless pile of ashes months ago.

After hanging it to dry on the branch of a brush-like plant, she finally peeled off her wet outer clothing (you never knew who might pop up) and waded into the second hot spring. A quaint little fountain sat at the edge of it, and the water seemed to get hotter and hotter as she neared it. So she settled on a little ledge that kept the water level below her chin.  
Lucca settled as comfortably as she could against the rocks and let her mind drift.

Cshh…cshhh… She snapped awake as the scarce foliage nearby rustled violently. A fire spell had begun under her breath, but she ceased when a lavender-haired figure stepped out from a jumble of ferns. She was a young Larubian, with inquisitive blue eyes and she vaguely resembled a clever cousin of hers. The girl timidly walked over and held out the bundle for Lucca. "Kino say bring clothes. Dinner soon."

Lucca smiled gratefully, "Thank you."

The girl nodded and left. It would hardly surprise her if the Larubian was her great-great-great-….well, a very distant ancestor.. Marle seemed to run into them everywhere, and in one unsettling incident in 600 AD, Crono ran into a disturbingly similar look-alike.

As her skin became resolutely more gnarled and wrinkled, she decided to draw her bath to an end. Rather reluctantly, she left the warmth of the water and shivered as the night's cooler air chilled her. The bundle sent to her contained the typical cavewoman clothing, scant and furry, and a towel-like cloth that she quickly dried off with. She swiftly discarded her wet underclothing and slipped the furry garments on. A brown furred cape had also been sent along and she threw it about her shoulders.

Lucca surveyed her appearance by the water's casting, and gasped. Had she not been wearing her glasses, she would have been a perfect cavewoman. Her light fuschia-like hair was in total disarray: parts of it had spiked up and bits of it still dripped wet. Her entire stomach was bared and there was so much skin showing! Though it was definitely not appropriate back home, she supposed it would do for now. However scarce, she loved the arm bracers it came with and she twirled, letting the trails float in the wind. The giddy girl danced around for another ten minutes before she got bored and settled down in front of her disheveled pile of items. .

It would be another fifteen minutes before her bag would be dry enough to use, so she busied herself with an assessment of her provisions. Of her healing supplies, there were three tonics, two mid-tonics, five ethers, and a single revive. Her supplies were relatively low; the last she restocked, she had been in Truce in 600 AD. Among the potion bottles were her other tools: a greasy wrench and screwdriver, a slightly cracked compass, fishing supplies, a couple of grenades, a flashlight, some gil, the Gate Key, a miniature reference guide to plant life, a pocketknife, some six feet of bungee cord, a potato sack, and a notebook.

Though her room was a beautiful indication to her spastic, disorderly ways, (it was hardly ever clean), she loved tidiness and dove into her work.

* * *

Lucca had practically sunk into a bed of furs in the Chief's hut after being fed a controversial dinner of dinosaur meat and what could only be described as red gloop. She forcibly shooed the memory out of her head. If she thought about it any longer, she was bound to puke. 

As the sun began to rise in the East, she slowly spiraled into a deep, healing sleep.

* * *

"Bring three petals. Two red feathers. Five horns." 

"Will do!" Lucca called out cheerfully. She had tried to convince the merchant to take gil, but he had insisted that she bring "good trade" and listed off his requirements.

The sun had been high in its zenith when she had finally awoken earlier in the day, and as she began hunting for the said items, the sun had become hot on her scarcely covered skin.

"Inflammo talio et tumulus! Fire 2!"

The pack of charred Cave Apes ran about in a frenzy as their furry hides were burned off of them.

Scary scary! Let's leave, - squealed one Ape to the other.

Owch owch owch! My wings,- shrilled the smaller one.

Mooo! -The other Apes turned to their strange three horned companion who resembled a potato. A precise volley of shots signaled the end of the battle and their strangely eventful, albeit incredibly confusing lives.

"Woohoooooooo!" Lucca the Great was out and about once more.

"Nyaahahahahhahahaha! Lucca shall smite you all!" The enormous pack of Leapers had no idea what they were in for when she calmly shot her arms towards the sky and began chanting the spell for Fire 2 (again). Ashes flooded the area as the blazing energy obliterated the creatures and evaporated into the humid air. She did a sort of happy dance when she noted the strong increases in her magic before she remembered something. She was entitled to take back her "hunt" for tonight's feast, but ashes would not make a good meal.

She sighed and left the open fields behind her. The river by the village was not far from there, and a meal of fish sounded tremendously agreeable to her after yesterday's traumatic dinner experience. Her civilized tastebuds could still recall the repugnant taste of the virtually raw meat and the woozy feeling she was hit with as the meat's blood had dribbled out of her mouth. About five minutes later, she came upon the murky path of water and looked upon its banks. It was a good ten feet across, and the shadows that played within it spoke of its fishy inhabitants. Lucca settled her back against a large boulder and fished into her now-dry bag for her extendable fishing pole. Memories surfaced into her mind as she remembered her pleasant childhood. Before she had become so… _involved_ in machinery, she had loved nature dearly, and with Crono at her side, they had gone on some pretty wild journeys. Both of them had gotten lost so many times, and after a rather distressing encounter with a shroom, they had picked up weapons and been fighters ever since. Crono used a katana of Azyri wood, and she, a sturdy mallet. They even began to dress similarly, fancying themselves twins.

"SCHNP!" The young inventor extended the pole and instinctively began digging into the ground with a sharp rock.

She smiled. _That silly kid. I hope his famous bullheadedness doesn't kick in anytime soon. _His rather brash attitude had gotten them in some pretty tight spots before. There was this one time when they decided to explore a cave in the Denadora mountains. Crono insisted it was empty, but he had been awfully wrong when they came to the very end of it and found a very unhappy bear. They nearly died that day, and after that, she stopped trusting his judgment so blindly.

Lucca's hand closed around an unlucky earthworm and she hooked it onto the end of her line.

After becoming so deeply involved in science in the middle of her tenth year, their treasured adventures soon came to an end. They remained close friends, but she was so busy with reading, and construction that they hardly ever hung out. It had been ten years since then, and Marle was a new obstacle to their friendship.

She cast her line into the cloudy depths and rested her head against the top of the boulder.

Marle was an okay girl. It was definitely a shock when she turned out to be Princess Nadia, for her casual and unceremonious attitude were traits that deviated from the typical royalty. Lucca didn't hate her, but her babyish shrieks were vexing, and her lack of careful consideration was upsetting to her analytical ways. She strongly doubted that the princess would have had the patience or presence of mind to solve a simple puzzle. Not that she was stupid or anything.

The line suddenly wobbled then jerked as an enormous tug came from the other end. Pondering ceased and Lucca leaped to her feet and began reeling in hastily. In no less than a minute, a silver fish had landed on the bank and was flopping without end. Retrieving her bungee cord, she tied the front end to a bush, roped the bottom half through the fish's gills, and dropped the fish back into the water.

It was precisely three hours, twenty-two minutes, and five point eight seconds later when Lucca decided she had enough. Casting her pole to the side, she reached for the makeshift catch line and struggled to pull it out of the water. Eighteen fish thrashed wildy upon the stretched cord, and she rigidly dropped them into her potato sack. She was glad that the village was nearby when she finally began dragging her heavy cargo back to the huts.

* * *

Two blazing bonfires rose to greet the night on the north and south edges of the meeting ground. Various meats and berries colored clay-molded platters with deep reds, yellows, and greens. In the very center of the area, a large orange wild cat cooked upon a stick over a fire. Lucca initially avoided the poi like the plague until she realized that it was one of the safer foods there. The fish she had brought had been a big hit, as it turned out that the Iokians were seldom able to catch any. Halfway through the celebration, Kino had grabbed a hold of her and drew her to the center of the celebration. He waved his arms around comically until the raucous chatter and feasting halted. 

"This Lucca is guest. Good hunter. Now on, Fysh hunter!" The cave people erupted into wild hoots and vigorous chest thumping. A jungle beat began to play and everyone started to dance.

After countless hours of dancing, food consumption, and strangely involving conversations with the cave people, Lucca collapsed onto the ground three hours before sunrise. When she finally woke up, the meeting place was disconcertingly silent and deserted. Something seemed a bit off, but the fog of sleep still clouded her mind.

"Reoow?"

Lucca turned over onto her stomach and buried her face into her furry arm bracers.

"Reow?"

Those arm bracers were suspiciously warm and talkative… _Talkative…!…What the heck? _Her eyes jerked open and she threw her head up. She was face-to-face with a pair of light blue and golden eyes; she bit back a shout of surprise.

It took her a second to realize exactly what it was, and she slowly sat up.

"Reeow.." The fluffy wild kitten stared at her imploringly and pawed gently at her knee. Lucca had no idea where it came from, but an idea formed in her head when she took note of it's odd coloring. Its silky fur was a light orange with a downy mane of subdued green. A similar, much larger feline had been cooked last night only a foot from where she sat. Hence, it was a logical conclusion that the adorable little bag of fur and saber-teeth was its orphaned baby.

"Reeeow." She had no time to take care of a cat.

"Rew?" This wasn't just a simple housecat either.

"…." It was terribly cute, but everything grew up… and what a thing this would grow up into.

A distinctively Larubian man had come to check on the area, and was pleasantly surprised to see the little animal that sat by Lucca. "Yummy Kizunthal! Good eating."

Lucca blanched and protectively scooped the kitten off the ground. "No! It's my pet! You can't eat him!"

Giput, as the man was called, blinked in confusion.

"No eat Kizunthal?"

Lucca shook her head. "No eat!" Her arms tightened around the poor kitten that was being squished in her protective embrace.

The Larubian scratched his head, perplexed by the idea that the Kizunthal shouldn't be eaten. As he became increasingly dumbfounded, he sunk to the ground and stared off into the distance. Noticing his distraction, she loosened her grip on the kitten and cuddled it against her face. It started purring. "Awww…Well.. I guess I can keep you."

"Rreow." And the sweet little thing was in her favorite colors too.

The return to the village itself had proved to be a tiresome affair. Everyone she had run into had looked upon the kitten hungrily and asked about it.

"Kizunthal! Eat soon?"

"No."

"Hunt good! Where find?"

"No, he's not food."

"Yummy hunt, good food."

"Yes. Hunt good if Kizunthal. Hard hunting."

"Soft meat. Put sweet water if have."

More people gathered around her and various cries of "Kizunthal" shook the ground.

Fuming, Lucca climbed onto the village's tree stump and raised her frightened kitten to the sky.

"You cannot eat this ca-Kizunthal! I will kick your butts if any of you even try!"

Her words weren't quite clear but the people got the gist of it, (and the threat behind her voice was rather obvious.) The crowd eventually dispersed and she made her way toward the chief's hut to retrieve her bag. Kino was busy in there carving out a weapon of stone. He looked up as she walked in.

"Kino hear. Lucca say no eating small Kizunthal. Kizunthal like Ayla's dactyls?"

Lucca nodded. Kino seemed to have a much better grasp on the idea of pets.

"Bring here," he dropped the sharp tools and held out his arms. She looked at him suspiciously and reluctantly handed the kitten to him. He gently held the formerly placid kitty up and examined it. After about three minutes of scrutiny, he handed the cat back to Lucca.

"Kizunthal hungry. Need food. Some meat in bag," he pointed to a bag of leaves at the far left, and she brought the cat over to it. She mused how lucky she was that the kitten had already been weaned, else this would've been a bad situation indeed.

As the kitten silently ate the pieces of raw meat she tore for it, she reflected over the morning's events. Kino had been rather tender with the cat. Yet, she couldn't stop the feeling of uneasiness at the pit of her stomach when her kitten had struggled unhappily in Kino's grasp.

"Reeow," meowed the kitten softly, as it climbed onto her lap and began purring. She stroked it soothingly as it slowly fell asleep and her look of adoration became indecision.

Kino must have been rather perceptible, for he noticed it and told her quietly,  
"Kino know. Kino protect Lucca's animal with life. Lucca can go."

Lucca smiled. "Thank you Kino," she said softly, as she carefully moved the kitten onto a fur bed, slipped her bag onto her shoulder, and made her way towards the merchant's hut.

"Bring items?" asked the merchant the moment she walked in.

"Yup!" she declared triumphantly as she drew out the feathers, horns, and petals.

The merchant, or rather, trader, nodded once at the man beside him who drew out a wicked-looking weapon that resembled a mallet. Dangerous spikes had been carved into its head, and they glinted warningly. It was made of stone, wood, and another material that Lucca couldn't place, but she was ecstatic over it nonetheless.

So ecstatic in fact, that she had actually bounded out of the hut, danced over to the nearest woodlands, and began testing it out on whatever dared to attack her.

"CLANG" She swung the mallet to the right and knocked the evilweevil into the shitake that crept up behind her. Whirling to the left, she batted away a flying rock and sent it cometing back at the kilwala.

"GNNLK!" shrieked the red eaglet as it dived down towards her… "CLUNK!" … and it met with the sharper edge of the mallet. Lucca whipped the mallet down to flick the carcass off and leaped out of the way as a group of croakers emerged from the foliage.

"Get her!" bellowed the leading frog.

"Aye aye!" they shouted in unison, before leaping at Lucca.

A wild grin spread across her face and she crossed her arms. As the group of about thirty frogs surrounded her, an eerie chanting echoed in the clearing.

"Advoco flamma a terra et caelum. Emergo... exuro… aboleo… Viscus decoquo…. Flare."The frogs realized their mistake too late, and the leader, having stayed out of the way, leaped away at a breakneck speed. Lucca grinned contentedly for it was only the second time she had cast that particular spell, and it had already come out crisp and clear. She steadied the mallet and prepared for the next group of attackers. _Here we go_…

About an hour later, in the midst of battle with a shist, a shadowy premonition sunk into her heart, and a jolt of electricity shot down her back. A frenzied heat engulfed the surface of her arms and neck and she struggled for breath.

_Something's not right… OMG… Something's very very wrong…_ "CRONO!"

An alien shriek of laughter resonated in her ears…..

"CRONOOOO!"

…..and the world fell black.


	3. Playing With Fire

**

Playing with Fire 

**

"Reeeoooow….."

"Reow?" The soft sound was coming from somewhere by her left ear. Lucca groaned and rubbed at her eyes.

"Reow!"

Something soft and furry nudged her face, but she laid still... until something warm, wet, and sandpapery began licking her nose.

"Wha?" she exclaimed, eyes snapping open in surpise.

An orange and green little fur ball slipped under her arms and began purring loudly. A smile lit up her face at the adorable image, but something sinister nagged at her. She stared up at the ceiling in dazed consternation, but the spell broke as Kino entered noisily.

"Ah! Lucca wake! Kino hear scream, find Lucca in trees. (_I was in the trees?_ wondered Lucca) Also find many animals. Lucca hunt good. Big feast now for many days," Kino spurted out without pause. Or breath.

But it stirred something restless within her. Disjointed memories began to resurface and a sense of myterous urgency sprang into her. Lucca cuddled the blissful kitten to her, before rising unsteadily to her feet. Kino was perturbed by her silence as he watched her amble out of the hut, but there was a haunted look in her eyes that stilled his speech. He shook his head thoughtfully, and turned his attentions to simpler matters. He hated complexity.

By the river's edge, Lucca gazed contemplatively into the rippling waves. Her iridescent image was glistening in the sunlit water; a fallow cavewoman stared back at her, and the false identity woke her to reality. It was time to stop the façade. Maybe one day, she might come here once more. A fluffy little cat joined her reflection and looked up at her with silent questioning. She turned to it.

"I have to go back," she affirmed, more to herself than her companion..

_I know,_ the cat seemed to say. He nudged her foot affectionately.

"You're a silly one, you know that?" Lucca kneeled down upon the earth and scratched its chin. Her sweet comrade smiled at her and she picked him up warmly. "Well, let's go then!"

"Reow!"

* * *

Lucca was back in her regular outfit once more, and she was surprised at how odd it felt. The orange and green attire had been with her for years, and since it could be adjusted, she literally grew up with it on. Many people in Guardia had often teased her for wearing such unflattering, unfashionable clothing, but it was practical for her trade and earlier adventuring. Her kitten seemed to be fascinated by her "change of skin" and had been staring wonderingly at the colors they now shared. When she had arrived at the chief's hut, she tried to give back her furry clothing, but Kino had told her, "This gift, Lucca keep." And strangely, she had been reluctant to part with it, and gratefully slipped it into her bag. Kino had also handed her a sack of supplies that he said were for all the animals she had hunted for the village. In it were twelve mid-tonics, six heals, and a prehistoric shelter.

She had thanked him sincerely and with her cat sitting precariously on her left shoulder, had made her way to the Mystic Mountains.

Her fiery reputation had spread through the ranks of all the monsters, (by various squeaks, roars, grunts, and squawks) and none dared to enter in her vicinity. Except for the shist she had unfinished business with, which she had easily dispatched by accidentally stepping on its tongue (it wobbled off crying).

They soon reached the portal, and Lucca cradled her kitten in her arms.

"This will be a bit scary… hold on!" and she took a running leap off the ledge. Her kitten squealed in fear as they became airborne, but was cut off as the gaping portal swallowed them.

* * *

Once more, Lucca was hit with a feeling of pressing urgency as she entered the End of Time. An unnatural silence seemed to blanket the area, and her breathing became fearfully loud and raspy. Her kitten had scuttled out of her rigid embrace and was actively smelling everything in sight. His human took no notice of him but was staring intently at the door that led to the main room. She took a deep, uneasy breath and hesitantly pressed on the door. It opened little by little, creaking sharply as it progressed. When it was a good ways open, she slipped though and prepared herself for whatever greeted her.

Nothing.

She drew a sharp breath. Ayla's usual corner was oddly empty, and the engulfing silence meant the wild cavewoman was not in Spekkio's Room either. What sent chills down her body was the absence of the old man, who never ever left his post. The bucket-portal to Lavos leered at her, and she nearly scurried out of the room. Increasingly irked by the second, she tiptoed towards Spekkio's door and abruptly halted as hushed whispers pierced her ears. Lucca shakily leaned her head against the door and swallowed.

"This wasn't supposed to happen, Spekkio…"

"Oh? The kid shouldn't have…" she couldn't catch that bit, "…was brave though."

_Kid._ It struck a deep chord within her, and she tore back into the Room of Pillars. Without pausing to answer the questioning meow of her pet, or the sudden calls of Gaspar and Spekkio who had heard her hasty retreat, she threw herself into the pillar to 12,000 BC.

_Faster, faster!_ she silently urged the blue vortex of time travel. But the swirls lazed around her, and she was forced to withstand minutes of eternity, a sluggish pace to her million-miles-an-hour thoughts.

At last, the hazy violet winds cleared away, and she was dropped into a sea of blinding white. A sudden pop erupted behind her, and she turned to see the portal mysteriously vanish. If she could not find her friends, she would be stranded here. Lucca forced this new turn of circumstances out of her mind, and allowed her dark premonitions to occupy her. When she finally opened her eyes to her scenery, she immediately sensed that something was terribly off. It was true that she had only been to the time period once, but a feeling of disaster enveloped the air. She looked up towards the continent in the sky and gasped. Gone was the kingdom that hovered so naturally in the sky above. Gone was the shadow it cast over the lower lands. But she knew that the deepening hole in her heart had nothing to do with it, and staggered onwards.

Icy winds wrapped their cold fingers about her, and she scolded herself for how ill dressed she was. She slung her fur cape about her shoulders, but it could only do so much. Her innate fire magic protested harshly against the weather, and a fire aura burst out protectively around her. Lucca had been traveling southwest for the past three hours, but the snow uniformly blanketed the ground miles in every direction, and it made her stomach queasy. It felt as though she was headed nowhere, and her only reassurance was the compass clutched painfully in her right hand. Her left shoulder was stiffened by the weight of her bag, and she shifted it ceaselessly.

Accompanied only by the sounds of her own breathing and the crunchy footfalls into the snow, she was lulled into a deep reminiscing state. Memories long forgotten, buried under the soil of industry and knowledge, untied themselves from her subconscious.

**Flashback**

A young boy with tousled red hair rested snugly in the snow, green-eyes beaming as the falling snowflakes danced on his nose. His eyelids gently closed as he submerged himself deeper in his fluffy nest of sparkling white.

"BLMPH!" An explosion of snow mopped the peaceful expression off his face, and he shot out of his snowy bed.

"LUCCA!" he hollered out, bits of snow flying off his face.

The giggling girl ducked behind a tree and hugged her heaving sides. She had been strolling towards Leene Square to hear the bell chime, when she stumbled upon his snowy serenity. It was an opportunity she couldn't miss, though his tranquil expression had almost deterred her. Almost. Crono's transformation had been priceless, and she burst out laughing as she replayed it.

"WHUMPH!"

"Hey!" she cried as the bulky snowball plowed into her side. Crono was advancing rapidly with an armload of arsenal, and she was snowball-less. Lucca dove behind a boulder and a snowball detonated at the very top of it. As she heard his footsteps crunch closer and closer, she coiled her legs and braced her hands against the icy ground.

_And… NOW!_ She launched herself forward and tackled him. They tumbled cacophonously to the ground, and when they tried to break apart, a large snowdrift collapsed upon them. Like moles, they burst out of their snowy prisons, laughing that sweet chiming laugh that only children could. After another hour of frolicking in the snow, they laid side-by-side and gazed up at the cloudy sky.

"Where do you think the snow falls from?" came a soft, imploring voice.

And Lucca answered unhesitatingly, "The sky, of course!"

"…No… I mean… why does it-? Do you think its magic?"

The girl thought hard about it, calling up all she had ever heard about snow. Most of the comments had been outlandish complaints from grownups, (how could they hate the feathery, white clay?), and she dismissed it all. Lucca held out her hand and let the snowflakes twirl gracefully into her open palm.

She smiled a deep, bright smile.

**END FLASHBACK **

* * *

Night was falling all around her, and she had yet to encounter any sign of life. Idly, she wondered if the entire era was deserted, and she wrapped the cape about her tightly. When her eyesight failed by the deepening shadows, she awkwardly pitched up her shelter and dove straight into it. Though she forgot her sleeping bag, her furry cape worked suprisingly well, and she snuggled her furry arm bracers for warmth. Exhausted in mind and body, she fell asleep easily.

The sun did not rise to meet the day, for the elderly clouds were rooted to the very sky. Mists of unease wrapped into her thoughts as she walked out into the morning's shadows. Lucca felt the static in the air, intense and remote, and she knew that something big was on the horizon. Within about an hour of walking, distant brown shapes broke the skyline. As she approached them, they morphed into crude huts of twisted metal and vegetation. The people there, however, were in far better spirits.

She approached one, a young Enlightened man.

"What happened here?"

He seemed a bit thrown that she had asked such a question, but her clothing tipped off that she wasn't from around there.

"About three days ago, great big orange spikes shot into Zeal and it was entirely demolished. Very few of us survived, and the Earthbounds didn't fare much better." He tilted his hat, and sighed. "Though I'm a bit reluctant to admit it… I believe it might have been Lavos."

_Lavos_…

A shudder rippled through her and she fought to suppress it. Her deepest fears were starting to play out, but she could not quit now.

"Have you seen an odd-looking group? A guy with red, spiked hair, a large frog, and a blonde-haired girl in white? There may have been an Earthbound-looking woman with them as well."

"No," he said apologetically, "though I did hear word of a strange group of travelers. I believe they are still around here. You might try that enclosure over there. I'm sure someone there will know."

Lucca let out the breath she held and thanked him, before heading briskly to the meeting area. It was flanked protectively by mountain walls, and a great gathering of people stood in its rocky arms. A purple cat skittered over to her and gave her a snooty sniff before bounding off. Something, a recollection from the past, tickled at the edges of her thoughts, but when she found no connection, she brushed it off uncomfortably and continued on. She found an elderly man with an amiable air and she asked if he knew the whereabouts of her companions.

"Ah, yes!" he had spoken benignly, "A dark, tall man came and asked about them only a day ago. Your friends set out to find him just thirty minutes ago, I believe. They went north, to the cape that overlooks the ocean."

Relief spilled though her as he mentioned her friends' destination, and she felt a refreshing sense of vigor.

"Thank you so much," she beamed, before tearing off with the snow flying behind her.

The old man smiled at her exuberance and turned once more to his reflections on the past.

* * *

"Marle, look out!"

"AAAAAHHHH!"

"Your left, Frog, he's on your-"

"CLNKK!" Metal clashed metal in a sharp resounding clank, then broke away.

Lucca urged her feet faster. The cape rose steeply ahead of her, but she could not see what lied upon it.

"Keep thy eyes open!"

A bloodcurdling scream ripped out, and Lucca horrifically identified it as Marle's.

"I'm coming!" she tried to shout, but the words were swallowed by her heaving breaths.

The beginning of the cliff was only a hundred feet from her, but she could only hear the heartrending sounds of a quickly worsening battle.

"I shall have thy heart for this!" Frog's battle cry echoed across the snow.

Then it stopped. A deafening silence rung in her ears as she stumbled up the cape and threw herself up the final distance. Her heart almost failed to beat. Sprawled across the ground, burnt and bleeding, were Ayla, Frog, and Marle.

She rushed towards them and rapidly checked them over. None of them seemed to be fatally wounded, and she slowly allowed her breathing to steady. The perpetrator appeared to have left, and she wondered what the heck had just happened.

Before she could administer the revival potions, an instinctive warning ripped through her, and she spun around. A shadowy figure stood ominously before her, danger rolling off of him in waves. His skin was unnaturally pale, sculpted harshly in snow and ice. Silvery blue hair cascaded down taut, strong shoulders, and each strand glinted metallically. A chilling breeze wrapped about the cliff, and his deep red-violet cape billowed behind him. His eyes were from too far of a distance to see, but they felt odd and abnormal. He began adjusting his gloves slowly and deliberately.

"You are unfamiliar to me," said a deep, rich, aristocratic voice. "Are you a member of this group of… weaklings?"

Lucca bristled slightly. This… this mysterious man seemed vaguely familiar, but she could not put a finger on it.

"And if I am?" Her confident tone hid the uneasiness that gripped her throat. She could sense that she was playing with fire, the kind she could not control.

"I would suggest that you refrain from following in their foolish footsteps." In three swift strides, he had reached her fallen friends and kneeled next to Marle.

"HEY! HEY! What are you doing?"

He did not cease his actions, nor act as though she had spoken at all. As he reached for Marle's pendant, Lucca whisked out her gun and fired a warning shot.

The man stopped his arm, but did not move away.

"Are you looking to perish in the shadows?" His voice was emotionless and eerie.

She said nothing but kept her gun aimed directly at him.

"So be it."

* * *

**AN: snickers evilly**

Reviews please? Big thank youto Zipis1 who has been my one single review.I'm beginning to think that no one wants to see a battle between Lucca and Magus unfold, so please prove me otherwise. 


	4. Shadow and Fire

**AN:** I was in Walt Disney World with my Thespian Troupe. We saw Cirque Du Solei. Fun times. And now I'm back taking standardized tests.. big yek. Hope you enjoy this chapter. It was finished before I left... but I witheld it for additional editing. And away we go...

* * *

**Shadow and Fire**

With a flick of his wrist, a menacing scythe materialized in his gloved hand, and realization sliced through the inventor.

400 years ago…  
……600 AD…  
……. A notorious wizard.  
…………The statue in the cathedral. 

Magus.

Never once had she seen him in person, for it was Marle, Frog and Crono who had fought him then. Like his striking monument, he was imposing, commanding, and bizarrely… alluring.

Before any of them broke the ice, Lucca piped, "I request that we take this battle away from them," and gestured to her unconscious comrades.

"Granted," he replied evenly. "You have ten seconds…"

And she did not doubt it. Lucca tore out of there with her adrenaline skyrocketing through her. In addition to keeping her friends from losing a limb or dying while she and Magus duked it out, she was putting distance between herself and the scythe, which had been too close for comfort.

She dashed downhill and did not stop until she was on relatively flat ground. Her mind had kept count precisely, and she had, **three**,

"Thinking about running away?" he taunted from the top of the crest.

**Two**, _Where's my bag?_

"I might consider letting you go," he snickered.

**One**. _Blast it!_ she cursed.

"Too late."

A purplish blur swooped down towards her at an unholy speed, and she ducked as metal whizzed where her head had once been. Her agility had improved vastly in the past few days, but she could barely match him. He swiped at her again, and she threw herself to the left. Sacrificing maneuverability to shoot energy bullets at him, she moved a little late and felt the fabric along her right side tear open. But it worked, and he backed off a good distance away.

Lucca bit her lip. She could not let him get within ten feet of her, otherwise she'd be stuck on the defensive. And since she had so intelligently left her bag back on the cape, she would have to pray that something useful hid in her pockets.

"Trying for fashion design?" she asked in mock friendliness.

"You seem to be in great need of it. Heard of a mirror?"

He was far too close again, but this time she wielded her mallet. When he swung at her head, she ducked and caught the underside of her adversary's blade with the hammer. Both pulled hard at each end, attempting to disarm the other. Lucca finally got a long, close look into his face and gasped when their eyes locked. His eyes flashed bloody red.

A feral grin overtook his face when he saw her reaction, and with a powerful stroke, he sent the mallet clattering behind him. The action pulled the shocked girl forward. She slammed into his armor and the air was knocked painfully out of her chest. Not a second later, she fell backwards from the collision, and flung a potent fireball into his right side. He was launched forcefully into the air, his scythe soaring out of his hand. While he shook off the flames with his own magic, Lucca dove for her discarded gun and shot at him as he rose. Unused to facing an unpredictable barrage of projectiles, he was forced to dart around. She maneuvered herself to stand above his fallen weapon, stopped firing, and watched him attentively.

"I don't think you've seen yourself quite clearly yet. You do know that underwear goes on before pants, right?"

Magus simply smirked in response, finishing off his shield spell. _Let her distract herself_, he thought amusedly. Lucca was slightly perplexed at his sudden lack of retort and steadied herself.

He began hovering off the ground, and her eyes widened drastically. No wonder his steps seemed lighter than air. Her breath caught as he rocketed towards her, and she stood motionlessly until… _So what, Lucca? So what if he floats? SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!_

She threw her arms up and clouted that trigger like no tomorrow. And then she nearly dropped her gun.

The bubble around him had absorbed all the energy bullets; it had not even slowed him one bit!

_THINK THINK THINK!_ she shouted to herself. Time seemed to be her enemy, and she scrambled for something, anything. Plunging her hand into her left pouch, it found a pair of grenades and wrapped about them tightly. Thank the heavens she had put them on her person.

_Bombs away…_ and she hurled them vehemently at him before diving for cover.

Explosions rocked the earth as her grenades exploded and cut shallow burrows into the ground. Smoke hung in the air as the last blast burst out, and Lucca stared searchingly into the haze. Magus' scythe had been abandoned when she dove to the ground, and was now lost in the dusty clouds. Seconds passed, but she saw no sign of him or his weapon.

"Looking for me?" asked a sneering voice behind her.

She whirled around and threw her weight to the left, the scythe whizzing dangerously near her neck. In her brief glimpse of him, she had seen that he was covered in soot, but seemed otherwise unhurt. As he turned and lunged at her again, she miscalculated grievously and bit back a howl. Blood stained her right side from a small line that burned and glowed black. It was only a graze. She saw her opening in the millisecond that he was bringing the scythe back behind him, and she leapt forward.

"YAHHHHHH!" Pulling back her gun-less fist, she punched him between the eyes.

As he plunged to the ground, she scrambled a good distance away and fired at him. One bullet embedded into his leg before disintegrating, and he winced in pain.

'**Click, click**.'_ Oh no… _'**Click, click, click.**' _Don't tell me it's broken!_

Lucca growled at her malfunctioning gun and forced it into its holster. Gun or no gun, she was not going to lose to this arrogant, smirking ass… how the heck was he smirking again? Was he made of stone?

"Broke your toy, little girl?" And he was up again, leering at her derisively.

Then eerie chanting floated from the wizard whose now empty arms weaved in a precise and intricate pattern. Smooth ancient words rolled off his tongue and the air became stuffy and electrified. Lucca felt her magic swirl warningly within her, but her muscles were paralyzed. His steady voice suddenly climaxed, and he pointed. Straight. At. Her.

"Dark Bomb."

Shadows razored into her from all directions, taunting her in raspy, unearthly tones. Walling around her, they encased her in a dome of torment; a myriad of nightmares ripped through her head and she writhed in agony. Eternity seemed to have lent its aid to the spell. Before the madness consumed her entirely, a cleansing fire enveloped her and chased the shadows away. He came at her again as abruptly as the spell ended, and she barely rolled away from the scythe when it descended on her. By some miracle, her arm had discovered her last grenade, and she threw it at him desperately.

And his scythe was no more.

"You.. have gone.. TOO FAR!" bellowed a suddenly furious voice. _Oh_, thought Lucca, _so he doesn't care too much when he's been shot in the leg, but he blows up when his farming toy's been broke._

However bad HE thought the battle had been going, it was ten times worse for her. She had just traipsed through miles of snow on the inkling of a premonition that she wasn't entirely sure of. Just as she had found her companions, they fell unconscious and she was left to deal with Mr. Metal Underpants. Miffed was a bit toned down for her emotion.

"Really now? So Mr. Wizard's feeling a bit victimized 'cuz a little girl came and snapped his weed-cutter?"

Magus gurgled and stepped forward, hands clenching sporadically as he imagined them closing around her neck.

"Arcesso Ignis!"

A blazing fireball bowled him over and she took that opportunity to summon forth a large portion of her magic.

"Advoco flamma…"

Magus had already gotten up.

"...terra et caelum."

She began backing away.

"Emergo, exuro, aboleo."

Balls of flame now twirled about her protectively. A look of disbelief crossed Magus' face and Lucca nearly snickered when he registered the explosive strength in her magic.

"Viscus decoquo….

….FLAARE!"

She threw her arms to the sky and her entire army of fireballs disappeared with a pop. Magus' skin suddenly turned translucent as he filled with a blazing radiation and he glowed like embers.

When the spell ended a minute later, he fell to his knees, grimacing, scorched and severely burned. Though he had not prepared himself in time, the attack had given him a vital piece of information. So she plays with fire, eh? While his defensive magic had kept the worse of the flare at bay, he had mentally scryed through the link maintained by caster and magic and confirmed his suspicions. From his spot on the ground, he rasped out an Ice 2 and grinned smugly when it had more effect than his Dark Bomb.

Lucca wobbled on the spot, trembling violently in her drenched clothing. The frigid blocks of Ice 2 had pounded her excruciatingly, but when her defensive magic flared up, she was additionally assaulted by a tidal wave of water. Moaning in pain, she closed her eyes and called out silently for fire. Though she knew that her magic was relatively powerful, she had no idea to what extent it truly reached.

Magus was rather impressed with her; she had far exceeded his expectations and proved to be an intriguing opponent. He had spared no thought of mercy on her when he had thrown both of his spells, yet she overcame them, a bit sloppily, but had done so nonetheless. The pyro's spell had been fiercely powerful, and had it been five or even three years earlier, he would not be standing there alive. With a bit of training, the girl could become immensely powerful; her raw, obviously untrained magic abilities were amazing as it was. Not even he could have had such control over his innate element without a little training.

Still, the battle had yet to end and he was simply not going to lose. As the girl magically dried herself off, he silently cast his infamous barrier spell. There'd be no way for her to counteract it… _she might as well surrender now_.

* * *

**AN:** Review! You know you want to!


	5. CH5 Teaser

**Chapter 5 Teaser**

  
Lucca's limbs throbbed as each shallow breath barely kept her upright. Mounting waves of nausea threatened to topple her, and she teetered precariously on her unsteady feet. All she could find was a bit of tonic, and it had about enough strength to heal a ladybug.

Forty feet before her, the famous wizard was sitting back on his haunches. Heaving breaths rasped from him, getting shallower and shallower. He steadied himself with one arm on the snowy ground, and managed to stand.

He said nothing.

Hope blossomed in her chest, and she drew a long steadying breath. He wasn't immortal.

With renewed strength, she cast a weak Flare and watched as he convulsed in the red glow. Towards the end of the spell, the glow faded to a light green before it dispersed into the chilled air. Puzzlement scrunched her features until Magus fell gasping onto his hands and knees.

The weary pyro sent fireball after fireball at the weakened mage, each diminishing in size and strength. Within moments, a completely blackened Magus fell face-forward into the snow, shuddering violently. Lucca closed her eyes and concentrated intensely on her innate element. She sent the last of her magic in one potent fireball, and held her breath as it collided.

He lay unmoving.

Minutes turned to hours, as her wide-eyed gaze searched him for any signs of life.

He lay unmoving.

Everything began to spin as she expelled a sigh of relief. Gravity crashed her down onto her knees and her lungs finally awoke, air gushing into them like mad to fill them. Shock and relief rocked her body from each breath right down to her toenails. Her vision began dancing. She closed her eyes.

_I won… I **won**_…

Goosebumps suddenly rose in a wave down her neck and back, and her eyes snapped open.

And time stopped.

* * *

**AN:** And the authoress suddenly awakens from her 8 month and 11 day hibernation to update.

I must apologize for my falling off the face of the Earth. I had an alternate Chapter 5 completely written on paper back in April, but I decided to chunk it in favor of something a little more spiced. This is only a teaser of the new chapter 5, mainly to let you know the story is still alive and kickin... and feel free to send a kick or two my way.

is swamped by rotten tomatoes

I am a wonderful procrastinator.


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